Fish Pose

Matsyāsana

Fish Pose
CategoryBackbends TypeStretch LevelIntermediate Hold30 sec MusclesChest, Neck, Back BreathingDeep chest breathing

Fish Pose, or Matsyasana (Sanskrit "matsya" means fish), is a backbend done lying on your back: your chest lifts with support from your elbows, and the crown of your head barely touches the floor. The app lists Fish as the counterpose for two inversions, Plow Pose and Shoulder Stand, or Sarvangasana. It appears in 7 sequences, from Office Reset to Upside-Down World.

How to do it

  1. EnterLying on your back, slide your palms under your pelvis. Pressing into your elbows, lift your chest and gently tilt your head back, resting the crown of your head on the floor.
  2. HoldMost of your weight is on your elbows and forearms. Your head only lightly touches the floor. Your chest reaches toward the ceiling with every inhale.
  3. ExitPress your elbows down, lift your head slightly, tuck your chin, and lower your back to the floor.
More detail

As a beginner, start with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Slide your palms under your buttocks with your elbows close together. First lift your chest onto your elbows while looking toward your legs, and only then slowly let your head release back until the crown lightly touches down.

If your neck protests, don't lower your head; keep your chin closer to your chest. For a gentle supported version, place a bolster or folded blanket under your shoulder blades and rest the back of your head on the floor.

Benefits

Opens the chest and throat; the traditional counterpose after Shoulder Stand.

Fish opens your rib cage and the fronts of your neck and shoulders, and an open chest makes a deep inhale easier. After Shoulder Stand and Plow, where your neck spends a long time flexed, Fish takes it the opposite way. Your back muscles work to hold the arch.

Cautions

  • Neck injuries
  • Hypertension
  • Migraines

This site is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury, a chronic condition, or are pregnant, check with a qualified professional before practicing.

Common mistakes

  • Putting your weight on your head. Your forearms carry the load, and your head is nearly weightless.
  • Dropping your head back abruptly on the way in, or jerking it up on the way out.
  • Spreading your elbows wide. Your chest then sinks and the weight slides into your neck.
  • Staying longer than your neck is comfortable with.

Counterpose

Knees-to-Chest Pose Knees-to-Chest Pose Beginner

Where it appears

Similar poses

Bow Pose Bow Pose Intermediate Camel Pose Camel Pose Intermediate Frog Pose Frog Pose Intermediate Revolved Cobra Pose Revolved Cobra Pose Intermediate One-Legged Bow Pose One-Legged Bow Pose Intermediate Bird Dog with Foot Hold Bird Dog with Foot Hold Intermediate

Questions

Why do Fish after Shoulder Stand? In Shoulder Stand and Plow your chin presses toward your chest and your neck is strongly flexed. Fish gently arches your neck back and evens out that position. In three of the app's sequences it comes directly after Plow.

Who should not do Fish Pose? Its contraindications are neck injuries, high blood pressure and migraines. With any neck problem, discuss even the supported version with your doctor.

What's the right hold time for Matsyasana? The pose card recommends 30 seconds, and sequences give it 40 to 75. Afterward, the app suggests relaxing your back in Knees-to-Chest Pose, or Apanasana.

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